


It's Not Yours, It's Mother Nature's.

by fatfingers



Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: Bears, Camping, I don't own these people, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-03
Updated: 2014-02-03
Packaged: 2018-01-11 02:10:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1167375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fatfingers/pseuds/fatfingers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For a prompt my dear Cas lover gave me: Brolin is going on vacation in the canadian forests and lakes region, and bradley makes a big game like he has read and knows everything about nature, and colin is just the shy but smart colin we love, and bradley is so crazy and wants to have a photo with a canadian bear and then is chased down for hundreds of meters and then colin must somehow save the "nature-master" bradley.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Not Yours, It's Mother Nature's.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hypnoticcastiel](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=hypnoticcastiel).



> Third fic for the dear. I hope you enjoy. Beta'd by the lovely Nika.

Originally posted on LJ [here](http://fatfingers22.livejournal.com/6033.html#cutid1) and [here](http://fatfingers22.livejournal.com/6389.html#cutid1).

* * *

 

“Camping? In the middle of nowhere? Are you crazy?!” Colin had been checking the weather, when Bradley stormed in with two tickets to Canada in hand.

“I told you it's not 'the middle of nowhere', _Jethro_. It's Canada.” Bradley settled himself on Colin's sofa with a smile that fitted that arrogant twat perfectly.

“You've watched Doctor Who too often,” Colin told him with a raised eyebrow. “And you insist on going outside the camping grounds. And Bradley, Bradley, _Bradley_ , there could be **bears** there! And owls, and buffaloes, and axe murderers, and sheep! You know they're not as innocent as they look.” Colin was now standing over Bradley, arms crossed.

        If Colin had a superpower, he'd have mind control. That man could bore a hole into your skull, climb in, make himself comfortable, close the hole, and make you think what he wanted you to think. Fortunately Bradley had self-restraint. Mostly. “Are you scared?” He asked, hoping to get a 'yes'.

Colin frowned at the direction of anywhere-but-Bradley and walked back to where his computer sat on the kitchen table. “No, I just don't want us to die. You know what our tombstones will read? 'And they never even found their bodies.' That's what. They'll bury my wax figure, and they'll have to bury your _Arthur_ costume or something. Bradley, they don't even have anything to remember you by! I mean, yeah, your acting skills, but nothing solid.”

“And here I thought I was the dramatic one.”

“Why can't we just go to Spain?” Colin tried with a huge, fake smile.

“Because you don't like people!” Bradley returned the smile.

“No, I don't like crowds. And I'd rather be in a crowd than meet an axe murderer,” Colin said, his attention on the computer again.

Now, Bradley knew Colin could be judgmental (like with gingers), but this was getting out of control. “Maybe there's an axe murderer in the crowd you meet. And really Colin, there could just as easily be an axe murderer here as in Canada. _I_ could be an axe murderer!” He would have put on a scary face but that would have ruined his point.

Colin's left eyebrow rose again, his fingers hesitating slightly on the keyboard. It was only for half a second, but Bradley knew instantly what Colin was going to say before he said it. “By your weapon skills; yes. By the excessive amount of evil in you; no.”

Moments like those were the reason he was fond of Colin. Well, one of the reasons. He stood up from the sofa and walked over to Colin. “Colin, we won't die. I've read a billion books, so I know all about the Canadian forest. Like boy scouts, we will be prepared.” He leaned down on the table, and shut Colin's computer. “Come on. It'll be fun.”

Colin glared at him.

“Please?” he batted his eyelashes.

“Ugh, you're insufferable,” Colin rolled his eyes, pushing himself away from the table. “Fine.”

If Bradley had been any more excited, there would have been confetti coming out of his ears. “Woohoo! I love you! Oh, Colin it'll be so much fun!” he said, clapping. He stopped after he realized the 'I love you' had actually come out of his mouth. Turning slowly towards Colin again, he barely caught the smile Colin was now hiding. “Guy love. I love you like a guy loves another guy.”

Colin couldn't have held the snort inside if he tried. “Yeah. Same. Now go so we can both get ready. You bought those tickets with little time to save.”

“Okay, I'll pick you up at 2 PM sharp in two days, but I'll maybe hear from you tomorrow, yeah?” Bradley couldn't help but smile now either. Colin had that effect on him. That......... man!

 

 

**************************************************

**From: Bradley  
** Did u change ur mind last min?

 **From: Colin  
** Ha, no, I forgot my wallet.

 **From: Bradley  
** Ok. I'll choose the tunes then.

 **From: Colin  
** Git

 **From: Bradley  
** I'd leave w/out u but that'd b a win 4 u.

 **From: Colin  
** I can't find it will be a while!

 **From: Bradley**  
…  
Take ur time. Not leaving w/out u.

“Damn it, my plan didn't work,” Colin said as he opened the door to Bradley's car.

“If a plan overlaps a plan of mine, no matter what it is, you won't win,” Bradley smiled, handing Colin his iPod. Because despite popular opinion, he was a nice guy. And even though he'd never admit it, Colin would always win when it came to him.

“This better be worth it, then!” Colin said with his overbearingly bright smile.

Bradley had already been looking through his iPod, noticing a very familiar song he left for Colin to see. He smiled to himself as he saw Colin press play, and the instrumental intro started playing.

_We have the chance to turn the pages over._

“You're going to get sick of this song if you keep playing it,” Colin said, but put the iPod down under the handbrake. Bradley knew he secretly loved the song.

_We can write what we wanna write._   
_We gotta make ends meet before we get much older._

It was _their_ song.

Bradley hummed to it the whole way to the airport, while Colin listened to his music. He liked Colin's music, he had grown fond of it – just like he'd grown fond of the DJ-of-the-hour – but he could never get that one song out of his head whenever he heard it. There was something about it, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. And yes, he liked quoting Arthur. They did have a lot in common.

When they arrived at the airport they went straight through the gate and into the airplane. Colin fell asleep during the flight, his head lolling onto Bradley's shoulder. He didn't mind. He just smiled to himself, put his headphones on and fell asleep with his head on top of Colin's.

The first time he woke up, the pilot was saying they were about to land. Colin wasn't there. He fell asleep again with a slight tingle in his chest.

The second time he woke up, Colin was shaking him. “We've landed. Come on, before the plane leaves again. Unless you want to go back home, which I don't mind at all,” Colin had an innocent look on his face, but Bradley knew better so he poked Colin in the chest and chuckled. “Yeah, right, as if.”

Next stop was the car rental. Because Bradley loved driving, and he used every chance he got to teach Colin. Frustrated Colin was his favourite Colin. That annoyed little smile Colin got every time Bradley managed to make him laugh when he didn't want to was the best thing in the whole of history. _Yes_ , Bradley thought, _better than the light-bulb, the computer, and candy canes put together._

“...Taio Cruz? Really?” Colin said as he manhandled Bradley's iPod once again. Bradley liked the rule ' _driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole_ ', but this was Colin. Anything to make him happy. Plus he never trusted himself around Colin, afraid he'd pick something stupid, leaving Colin to laugh at him. Not that he wasn't already.

“Shut up, it's a good song,” Bradley mumbled, unable to say the real reason he had that song on there. The title really said everything, though.

Colin fell asleep while they were playing 20 questions – it was very hard; they both knew a whole lot about each other, so finding questions was a challenge – and Bradley sang along to his iPod and tried his best to keep his eyes off Colin and on the road.

 

**********************************************

They arrived at a questionable parking lot when the sun was starting to set.

“We're here!” Bradley said, almost ripping out the car key in excitement.

“Bradley, I doubt that's a parking lot. Looks more like someone went nuts at the grass and ripped it all up,” Colin was weary after his nap, and wasn't moving from his seat because he still trusted his instincts more than Bradley's.

“There is no road leading from here, except the one we drove on, ergo a parking lot,” Bradley explained, like it was the most basic thing in the universe.

“That wasn't a road! It was an old tire track. Probably from some maintenance guy or a shady fisherman,” Now, Colin was scared of dangerous animals, his life going on display, and crowds, but most of all, he was scared of breaking the law. That was something he did not do.

“Relax. This is a known spot, so why shouldn't we be able to park here?” Bradley patted Colin on the knee before leaving the car and breathing in the fresh forest air.

Colin sighed, unfastened his seat-belt, and went out of the car. He helped Bradley move all the stuff from the car to a reasonably good place in the forest, which they found after Bradley had changed his mind about the other forty-three reasonably good places.

Colin did not however help Bradley set up the tent. That was the most amusing thing he'd done all day, watching Bradley set up the tent.

It went like this:

  * Everything on the ground.
  * Poles put together.
  * Bradley wrapped inside the tent with a pole.
  * The pole falling down, hitting Bradley's head.
  * Bradley lost in the tent.
  * Bradley fighting the tent.
  * Bradley finding the exit.
  * Bradley frustratingly stabbing the ground with heels, fastening whatever he could.
  * Bradley napping.
  * Bradley losing the fight with his dignity, and getting the manual.
  * Colin laughing at a blushing Bradley while he put the poles through the holes.



Then there was this:

  * Bradley telling the tent to stay.
  * The tent staying. Reluctantly.
  * Bradley carefully throwing all their stuff inside the tent.
  * Bradley falling to the ground, telling Colin he's just going to rest his eyes for a bit.
  * Colin taking a one hour walk to a lake, and coming back to a still 'napping' Bradley.
  * Colin making a bonfire, waking Bradley up with the smell of marshmallows.



“Maaaaarshmalloooooowws,” Bradley drawled, walking over to Colin in his zombie-like state, outstretched arms and all.

Colin laughed, handing out a marshmallow on a stick that had been waiting for Bradley since Colin sat down next to the fire. “Enjoy,” he said, spinning his third marshmallow over the fire.

“Oh I will!” Bradley said, not even bothering frying the marshmallow before eating it.

“I'm sorry for not helping you earlier,” Colin said after a moment of silence except for the crackling fire, and Bradley's munching.

“Are you serious? Don't even start. It probably would have taken us forever if you helped me. Just imagine us being both trapped in that tent with nothing to guide us.”

“Heh. It would've been pretty hilarious. Two grown men trying to get out of a tent. Imagine someone showing up. Now that'd be newsworthy,” Colin grinned, picking at the ash on his marshmallow.

“Yeah,” Bradley agreed, sighing.

It was one of those moments where it actually mattered what you said. It wasn't just a conversation, it was a moment. A moment Bradley had been thinking about for a long time. A moment Katie had been laughing at him for just a week ago. _Oh come on Bradley, it's not a big deal. Just tell him already! What, you think he'll get disgusted by you and never talk to you again off screen?_ She'd said, slapping him on the back while going a little overboard with the cackling. At least in Bradley's opinion.

“Colin, have you ever--” Bradley started, not really knowing how to phrase that. “-ever thought about the fans? Or well, their thoughts.. I mean, if they're right?” He lost himself in the staring-at-Colin bit, and didn't realize it until his marshmallow was on fire. Which, okay, was a good thing, because it saved him from the awkwardness as he could focus on putting it out and deciding whether to eat it or not.

“Right about what?” Colin was looking at him with this confused kitten look, which honestly should just be illegal, especially since Bradley forgot all about his burning marshmallow. He took it from the stick to pop it in his mouth, but well it was hot, so more awkwardness ensued as he frantically threw it a way shorter distance than intended and blew and sucked on his fingers like his life depended on it – and tried to laugh it off.

“Uhm...” was all he could say, still licking his marshmallow covered fingers.

“There's one thing I'm thinking you might mean but I'm not even gonna start hoping with that one. But yeah, I think the fans are right about a lot of things. Like Arthur loving Merlin and vice versa. I mean, it's there for everyone to see!” Colin said, smiling lightly at Bradley.

“You of all people should be able to hope. But what thing? What are you talking about?” If Bradley's heart hadn't been racing before, it certainly was now. To make things worse, the not-so-subtle-butterflies were making him nauseous. Or maybe that was the fact that he'd eaten half a billion marshmallows.

Colin just looked at him with an unreadable expression, his head tilt giving Castiel's a run for its money. It was almost ten minutes to apocalypse when he looked away, telling him it was nothing. “Just forget about it.”

And Bradley would have forgotten all about it if he wasn't completely and utterly in love with Colin. So when Colin stood up and went to sleep, Bradley sat there for an hour just thinking. And when he went into the tent to sleep himself, his thoughts had other things in mind, making Bradley move around for hours. He was unable to sleep until finally Colin unconsciously moved closer, slinging one arm over Bradley's chest, burying his nose in Bradley's shoulder.

 

**********************************************

Bradley had never been an early riser. Not when he was a kid, not when he was in high school, and certainly not now. Yes, he did realize the irony in that, having to wake up early most of his life.

Today was no different. He was on vacation so he'd been looking forward to sleeping in, but Colin had other things in mind, like taking a walk ' _in this lovely weather_ '. Not to mention his mind had prevented him from much sleep the night before.

“Coliiiiiiiiiiiin! Why can't I sleep just a little bit longer?” Bradley did not sound like a five year old. He was twenty-five going on thirty, he was supposed to be able to mope about sleep.

“Because your 'little bit longer' always turns into three hours, and look! The sun is shining, it's crazy warm, and you were the one who dragged us here to look at nature, quote unquote.” Colin was wearing his 'ahh, this is gonna be a good day' smile, and his only pair of khaki shorts. This meant only one thing: they were going hiking.

They barely got inside the forest when they saw a bear. This was why Colin hadn't wanted to come in the first place, but Bradley knew he could change his mind about that. Now he was going to change his mind about bears.

“Aww, what a cute bear!” Bradley exclaimed, tiptoeing towards it.

“Bradley, please, be careful. It is a bear. There's more chance of it eating you than it wanting you to pet it.”

“Don't listen to Colin, he's just being mean.”Bradley extended his hand forward, realizing making fun of Colin didn't help his 'make Colin realize bears are good' argument. “Come on Teddy. I won't hurt you, baby, I just want one photo. I'll give you some sweets! Just come to papa.”

“Bradley, it's not yours, it's Mother Nature's! Now get away from it before I have to report pieces of meat all over this forest ground, and we have to find a new Arthur or make the show go on without you.”

And that was when Bradley made the final steps to the bear, the bear sniffing and then growling, and Colin freezing. Then Bradley promptly realized what he'd done, and ran away – the bear following, and Colin following the bear after a moment of shock, more freezing, anger, damn-it-I-knew-this-would-happen, and then overflowing terror.

Bradley knew it had been a bad idea to run as soon as his foot left the ground in that first step, but it was too late now. He was running from a bear. He probably had like twenty percent chance of surviving this. Or well, of outrunning the bear. Maybe he just wanted a son, or a friend or something. Then again, maybe not.

The only good thing was that he was running down a little hill, so he had a bit of time. He thought about going for the foster position – play dead, whatever – but he'd either have to do it full speed, so he'd roll somewhere, or he'd have to find some hiding place first to be able to fool the bear.

Then there were trees. Trees. There were lots of trees there! Trees Bradley could not climb even if he had an instructor. Or a monkey. Or a monkey instructor. They were too unclimbable.

The hill was no more, so the bear was gaining in on him. He really did have no idea what to do, he just thought that at least he'd die in good shape. He wished he'd told Colin though. If he died and Colin would be at his funeral mourning, he would not want to be there when Katie told him that the rumours were true. That just meant Katie consoling Colin and then Bradley'd have to watch from very far away while they fell in love, got married, and had perfect Irish babies.

No, he was going to do something. Anything.

Any time now?

The bear got even closer, swinging its claws towards Bradley, taking a chunk off Bradley's shirt, scratching his back while doing so. And not at all in a good way.

He heard Colin somewhere behind them, screaming his name. The next thing he knew, he heard a thump and a cry, then some more thumping, the bear growling, and no more heavy feet running after him.

He slowed down, carefully turning back (because even though the bear could kill him easily when he slowed down, it wasn't as scary if he couldn't see the bear), and saw that Colin had thrown rocks at the bear, shifting its attention.

For a heartbeat, he got more horrified than he'd ever been in his entire life, thinking the bear would now go after Colin. But then Colin threw something else at the bear which wasn't rocks. It was honey.

Bradley still couldn't move, and stared in shock as the bear at first got angrier, than realized what he had smeared all over him and started licking his pelt. Then the bees came. While the bear was fighting them off, Bradley took his opportunity and ran back from where he came from, grabbing Colin with him when he got to him. He didn't stop until they were inside the tent, everything inside and zipped up. Thankfully, they were not close to the bear at all, so it'd be a long shot if he found them again.

Colin tore his hand from Bradley's as soon as they were inside the tent. Bradley's heart fell, but realized why when Colin started caressing Bradley's back with his hands. Of course he'd taken the first aid kit with him.

“You really are an idiot,” Colin mumbled, washing Bradley's wounds with a cold cloth.

For a while Bradley didn't say anything, just enjoyed the feeling of Colin running his fingers along his wounds, smearing gel on them. Even though it was painful.

“I mean, you couldn't just let things be. It was a **bear** , Bradley! What kind of-- how could you-- why didn't-- GAHH!!” Colin threw the bandage he was holding at one of the tent walls. Not a big tent, so not hard. But thankfully, a soft bandage, so the tent didn't fall down.

“I know. I'm sorry,” Bradley managed, turning a tiny bit to look at Colin.

“You actually have no idea,” Colin shook his head, getting a new bandage from the box.

Bradley watched while Colin gently put it over Bradley's wounds, smoothing it out more than was necessary. Then Bradley just decided _what the hell_ and kissed Colin.

Colin moved away with a gasp, staring at Bradley wide-eyed. Then he grabbed the back of Bradley's neck and drew him in for another kiss, deeper this time.

Bradley's arms went to rest on Colin's thighs, enjoying the warmth even though he'd been hot from the sun before. This was different. This was just him and Colin and nothing else.

He licked inside Colin's mouth, tasting fear and madness and shock and need and love. And he just lost it. This was it, and he'd almost not had it, he'd almost lost Colin to a friggin' _**bear**_ , and damn it, he'd been so stupid but so lucky, so so lucky. _He finally had Colin exactly where he'd always wanted him._

“I love you,” He told Colin, just because he could, just because he'd been holding it in for six thousand years and counting.

Colin laughed, “I hate you!” and slapped him on the upper arm.

And even though it was only around four o'clock, and only day two out of three, they cuddled together inside the tent, holding each other as close as humanly possible. The last thing Bradley heard before dozing off to sleep was Colin whispering _I love you_ s into his hair over and over again. This he could get used to. This he _had_ gotten used to. This he had been hoping for since two-thousand-and-Merlin-mid-season-one. This he didn't have to dream about anymore.

 

**********************************************

“Wait, did you hear that?” Bradley stopped his shuffling, half sitting up.

“What, getting scared again?” Colin said where he lay curled up in his sleeping bag.

“Colin, I'm serious. There's someone out there, just listen.” Bradley sat up straighter, putting his finger on his lips to shush Colin. Colin stopped chortling, turning his face to look at the tent door.

There was nothing, so they waited. And they waited, and they waited; nothing. They waited some more. Nothing. “Bradley st--” Colin started, but got cut off by Bradley squeezing his thigh and shushing him again.

Colin frowned, but listened. And there it was. A kind of rustling. They stopped breathing for a moment, keeping as still as they could. “Did you see that?” Colin sat up, grabbing Bradley's arm. “The shadow.”

“And you said it was all in my head,” Bradley said, lowering his voice to a mere whisper. Despite the joking, they really did not want to die in the middle of nowhere. But then again, they were in a tent in the middle of nowhere, so if there was anyone there, they wouldn't be hard to find, and thus hard to kill.

They kept staring at the tent's opening, waiting for the shadow to appear again. “Maybe it was just a bird,” Bradley said, not even believing it himself.

Just as he'd dropped the 'bird', the shadow appeared again, bigger and in the shape of a man with an axe. There was nothing they could do but scream. So they did.

In burst a big man with uncombed hair, few months old beard, wearing flannel, with an axe. They clutched each other, screamed louder, closed their eyes and waited for their imminent, violent deaths.

“Are you okay? What's going on?” a soft, very concerned, very Canadian voice asked.

Bradley forced one of his eyes open, still clinging onto Colin's fragrant DCFC shirt. Yes, he managed to smell Colin even when he was about to die. That was the point. He was about to die, so why not try to remember all the good life had brought him?

Bradley saw that the eyes watching them were just as concerned as the voice they belonged to. “Who are you?” he wondered aloud.

“I'm a camp ranger. There's a camping ground near by. I heard some human noise so I figured I should go check it out and now I'm here,” The bearded man smiled.

“But why do you have an axe?” Bradley said, acting like the five year old he had accepted he was.

“I was chopping down a tree. And these woods can be dangerous. Would you like me to escort you to the camping ground? There are bears here, you know.” The camp supervisor backed out of the tent, holding it open for them.

“No thanks, I think we'll just go home. We don't have much left of our vacation anyway,” Colin answered. He had opened his eyes seconds before Bradley, and was now crawling out of his sleeping bag.

Bradley reluctantly let go of Colin's shirt, instead making himself busy by looking for his socks. When he'd found them he threw them on, throwing everything else left inside the tent outside.

After some objections, more shirt grabbing, shouting, promises of future cuddles, and grunting, they managed to pack everything and take the tent down.

“You want me to buy you a teddy bear at the airport?” Colin asked chuckling when they had gotten everything in the car. Bradley glared at him and then punched him in the arm before getting in the car.

“Ow, that hurt!” Colin laughed, getting in the car himself. He smiled and hummed along to the radio all the way to the airport. Not that Bradley minded. He liked Colin's voice. It was one of the biggest reasons he started talking to him in the first place. That, his dark humour and mop of hair, and the fact that everyone _loved_ Colin. He was pretty special. And now he was his.

*insert photo of them driving together into the sunset*


End file.
